“Hep B Free Philadelphia,” a campaign to increase testing and vaccinations to fight hepatitis B and liver cancer in the Philadelphia region, is being launched Tuesday afternoon.

Among those scheduled to talk about the initiative, in an event being held in the Municipal Services Building across form City Hall starting at 1 p.m., are Joan M. Block, executive director of the Hepatitis B Foundation in Doylestown; Dr. Walter Tsou, a former Philadelphia health commissioner; Dr. Donald Schwarz, the city’s deputy mayor for health and current health commissioner; and Nina Ahmad, chairwoman of Mayor’s Commission on Asian American Affairs.

Hep B Free Philadelphia, based on the successful San Francisco Hep B Free campaign, seeks to address the growing severity of hepatitis B, which has infected one in 20 Americans, and liver cancer, the most fatal complication of chronic hepatitis B and the second most deadly cancer in the United States, according to the foundation. The Hepatitis B Foundation, which is leading the campaign, is the only national nonprofit solely dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for those affected with hepatitis B.

The three primary goals of Hep B Free Philadelphia are to: raise the public profile of hepatitis B and liver cancer as an urgent priority; promote hepatitis B vaccination and testing; and stimulate involvement from key stakeholders and policy decision-makers to improve access to hepatitis B prevention and treatment services to improve the health and wellness of all Philadelphians.

The hepatitis B virus was discovered by Dr. Baruch Blumberg at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. Baruch invented the first hepatitis B vaccine. Hepatitis B vaccines are now made by GlaxoSmithKline and Merck.

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